Tuesday, 5 February 2008

Apres nous, le deluge

Our weather is changing. Sudden downpours and flash flooding are on the increase -- manmade climate chaos is of course the culprit. The ten-year forecast is for more and more floods.

[I got utterly drenched by a freak rain-and-hail storm the other day, which is why I have been moved to write about this!]

After last year's catastrophic floods, the government set up a review to identify the lessons that could be learnt. The interim findings have now been published, but the report pays little attention to avoiding floods. Of the report's 15 recommendations, 13 deal with emergency responses and the other two are about monitoring water levels and risks. Not one of the recommendations deal with steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of flooding!

Surely we should be trying to prevent floods, not just thinking about how to mop up afterwards? This would save a lot of distress and would be more cost-effective.

To prevent flood risks accelerating we must preserve flood plains so that they can act as natural "sponges". We must minimise development in these sensitive areas. We must avoid paving over more green areas -- including our own front gardens. And we must take seriously the need to minimise dangerous climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Party would prioritise these measures, not just improve emergency response to flooding. A problem prevented is a problem one never has to respond to!

Our weather is changing. Sudden downpours and flash flooding are on the increase -- manmade climate chaos is of course the culprit. The ten-year forecast is for more and more floods.

[I got utterly drenched by a freak rain-and-hail storm the other day, which is why I have been moved to write about this!]

After last year's catastrophic floods, the government set up a review to identify the lessons that could be learnt. The interim findings have now been published, but the report pays little attention to avoiding floods. Of the report's 15 recommendations, 13 deal with emergency responses and the other two are about monitoring water levels and risks. Not one of the recommendations deal with steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of flooding!

Surely we should be trying to prevent floods, not just thinking about how to mop up afterwards? This would save a lot of distress and would be more cost-effective.

To prevent flood risks accelerating we must preserve flood plains so that they can act as natural "sponges". We must minimise development in these sensitive areas. We must avoid paving over more green areas -- including our own front gardens. And we must take seriously the need to minimise dangerous climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Party would prioritise these measures, not just improve emergency response to flooding. A problem prevented is a problem one never has to respond to!